Mail insertion method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method of inserting items of mail ( 22 ) into envelopes ( 24 ), the method including an insertion cycle comprising the steps of: circulating, in succession, a series of insertion stations ( 12 ) past at least one envelope feeder ( 16 ), past at least one mail feeder ( 18 ) and past a delivery point ( 20 ); feeding an item of mail ( 22 ) and an associated envelope ( 24 ) on to each station ( 12 ) as the station ( 12 ) passes the respective feeders ( 16,18 ); inserting each item of mail ( 22 ) into the associated envelope ( 24 ) while the associated station ( 12 ) moves towards the delivery point ( 20 ); and delivering each envelope ( 24 ) with its inserted item of mail ( 22 ) from the associated station ( 12 ) to the delivery point ( 20 ). Each station ( 12 ) is then recirculated past the feeders ( 16,18 ) and past the delivery point ( 20 ), to repeat the cycle. The invention extends to an apparatus ( 10 ) for performing this method.

[0001] THIS INVENTION relates to a method and apparatus for automated insertion of items of mail into envelopes.

[0002] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of inserting items of mail into envelopes, which method Includes an insertion cycle comprising the steps of:

[0003] circulating, in succession, a series of insertion stations mounted on an endless conveyor past at least one envelope feeder, past at least one mail feeder and past a delivery point;

[0004] feeding an item of mail and an associated envelope on to each station as the station passes the respective feeders;

[0005] inserting each item of mail into the associated envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point; and

[0006] delivering each envelope with its inserted item of mail from the associated station to the delivery point,

[0007] each station then being recirculated past the feeders and past the delivery point, to repeat the cycle.

[0008] Each envelope feeder may be upstream of its associated mail feeder, or vice versa, or they may be at the same position on the path followed by the insertion stations, but they will both be upstream at the delivery point.

[0009] Typically, the method includes the step of opening a mouth of each envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point, prior to the step of inserting the item of mail into the envelope, such that the envelope is ready to receive the associated item of mail.

[0010] The method may include the step of opening a flap of each envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point, prior to the step of opening the mouth of the envelope. It should be appreciated that opening the flap of each envelope comprises hingedly displacing the flap from a position in which it lies flat against a body of the envelope and closes the mouth of the envelope to a position in which it exposes the mouth of the envelope, while opening of the mouth of the envelope will comprise spacing side walls of the envelope from each other such that an associated item of mail can be inserted into the envelope by pushing the item of mail into the envelope, i.e. into a storage space formed between the side walls, through the open mouth.

[0011] The method may include the step of closing a flap of each envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point, after the step of inserting the associated item of mail into that envelope.

[0012] Each item of mail and the associated envelope may be fed on to the associated station substantially simultaneously.

[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for inserting items of mail into envelopes, the apparatus including:

[0014] a series of mail inserting stations mounted on an endless conveyor for circulation in succession past an envelope feeder, a mail feeder and a delivery point, each station including a mail inserter which is automatically operable to insert an item of mail fed to the associated station from the mail feeder into an envelope fed to that station from the envelope feeder; and

[0015] a delivery device automatically operable to deliver an envelope with an item of mail inserted therein from each station to the delivery point as the station passes the delivery point.

[0016] The mail inserting stations may be commercially available mail inserting stations, for example those available in South Africa under the trademark “NEOPOST” from NEOPOST, France, or under the trademark “PLOCKMATIC” from Plockmatic International, Sweden.

[0017] The apparatus may include an envelope opener; and the envelope opener and in particular the inserter may each be cam actuated. Thus, each mail inserter may include a cam operable by engagement with an associated stationary cam follower adjacent the conveyor; and each envelope opener may similarly comprise a cam operable by engagement with an associated cam follower adjacent the conveyor. Conveniently, the same cam follower is associated with both cams. Instead, the opener and inserter may each comprise a cam follower operable by an associated stationary cam adjacent the conveyor, each cam, for instance, being located alongside or above the conveyor.

[0018] Each of the cams may be positioned between the feeders, on the one hand, and the delivery point, on the other hand. Thus, cams/follower engagements arising from movement of the stations will cause both the openers and inserters to operate, at a position between the feeders, on the one hand, and the delivery point, on the other hand. Thus, in particular, the mail inserter may include a cam follower operated by an associated stationery cam adjacent the conveyor, the mail inserter being located between the feeders, on the one hand, and the delivery point, on the other hand. Each station may include an envelope opener, automatically operable to open a mouth of an envelope fed to the associated station from the envelope feeder, to prepare that envelope for insertion of the associated item of mail into the envelope by the associated mail inserter; and this envelope opener may be cam actuated. The envelope opener may include a cam follower operable by an associated stationary cam adjacent the conveyor, the envelope opener cam being located between the feeders, on the one hand, and the delivery point, on the other hand.

[0019] Instead, the inserter and the opener may be motorised.

[0020] The apparatus may also include a mail feeder for feeding items of mail in succession to the stations, such that one item of mail is fed to each station, and it may include an envelope feeder for feeding envelopes in succession to the stations, such that one envelope is fed to each station. In particular, the mail feeder and the envelope feeder may be arranged successively to feed an envelope and an item of mail to each station substantially simultaneously. In use, the stations may move first past the mail feeder and then past the envelope feeder, or vice versa. Instead, each station may move simultaneously past the mail feeder and the envelope feeder, so that the mail feeder and the envelope feeder are arranged successively to feed an envelope and an item of mail to each station substantially simultaneously.

[0021] Conveniently, the endless conveyor is mounted on a pair of pulleys, one of which is a driven pulley and the other of which is an idler pulley, the stations being mounted at spaced intervals along the length of the conveyor. The endless conveyor may be a belt conveyor or a chain conveyor.

[0022] The invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

[0023]FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of an apparatus in accordance with the invention;

[0024]FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an envelope and an item of mail, prior to insertion, at an insertion station forming part of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0025]FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of a further embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention;

[0026]FIG. 4 is, on an enlarged scale, a schematic end elevation of an envelope opener forming part of a mail insertion station of the apparatus of FIG. 3, taken at line IV-IV in FIG. 3; and

[0027]FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 of the envelope opener and a mail inserter, co-operating to insert an item of mail into an associated envelope.

[0028] In FIG. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally refers to an apparatus for inserting items of mail into envelopes in accordance with the invention.

[0029] The apparatus 10 includes a plurality of mail inserting stations 12 mounted in series on a endless conveyor 14 for circulation in the direction of arrow 15 past an envelope feeder 16 and a mail feeder 18 and then past a delivery point 20. Each station 12 is similar to the commercially available “Neopost” or “Plockmatic” type, but it will be appreciated that other known insertion stations may be used without materially affecting operation of the apparatus 10. Each station 12 comprises an envelope opener (not shown) and a mail inserter (not shown), each opener and the associated inserter being automatically operable to insert an item of mail 22 (see FIG. 2) fed to the associated station 12 from the mail feeder 18 into an envelope 24 fed to that station 12 from the envelope feeder 16. As can be seen in FIG. 2, each envelope 24 is fed on to the associated station 12 with a flap 17 of the envelope 24 in an open position in which a mouth 19 of the envelope is exposed for reception of the associated item of mail 18. The apparatus 10 includes a delivery device 26 which is automatically operable to deliver an envelope 24 with an item of mail 22 inserted therein from each station 12 to the delivery point 20 as the station 12 passes the delivery point 20.

[0030] Both the envelope opener and the inserter are cam actuated. Thus the opener and the inserter each comprise a cam follower 11 operable by engagement with an associated stationary cam in the form of a cam bar 13 above the conveyor 14. For the sake of clarity of illustration, the cam bar 13 is not shown in FIG. 1. Thus, successive cam/follower engagements arising from movement of the stations 12 past the cam bar 13 will cause both the opener and inserter to operate, at positions between the feeders 16 and 18, on the one hand, and the delivery point 20, on the other hand.

[0031] The endless conveyor 14 is a belt conveyor, comprising a belt 27 mounted on a pair of pulleys 28, one of which is a driven pulley and the other of which is an idler pulley, the stations 12 being mounted at spaced intervals along the length of the belt 27. Instead, the endless conveyor may be in the form of a chain.

[0032] Thus, an insertion cycle includes circulating, in succession, a series of simultaneously moving insertion stations 12 past the envelope feeder 16 and mail feeder 18, feeding an envelope 24 on to each station 12, and simultaneously feeding an item of mail 22 on to each station 12, so that each mail item 22 is aligned with the associated envelope 24 for insertion into its associated envelope 24. The envelope 24 is opened and the mail item 22 inserted into the associated envelope 24, while the associated station 12 moves from the feeders 16, 18 towards and past the delivery point 20. The envelope 24 with its inserted item of mail 22 is then delivered by the delivery device 26 from the associated station 12 to the delivery point 20 for further processing. Each station 12 is then recirculated past the feeders 16 and 18 and past the delivery point 20, to repeat the cycle.

[0033] The invention allows delivery of each envelope 24 with its inserted item of mail 22 to the delivery point 20 in the same time it takes to feed the item of mail 22 and the envelope 24 on to the station 12, or for two stations 12 to pass the feeders 16 and 18, whichever takes the longest. In other words, the delivery time is not dependent on the speed of the insertion of the item of mail 22 into the envelope 24, as long as a sufficient number of stations 12 is provided on the conveyor 14.

[0034] In FIG. 3, reference numeral 41 generally indicates a further embodiment of an apparatus for inserting items of mail into envelopes in accordance with the invention. Unless otherwise indicated, like reference numerals indicate like parts in FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0035] In this embodiment of the invention, each envelope 24 is fed on to the associated station with the flap 17 of the envelope 24 in a closed position, in which the flap 17 closes the mouth 19 of the envelope. The apparatus thus includes a flap opener for successively opening the flap 17 of each envelope 24 before the associated item of mail 22 is inserted into the envelope 24. The envelope opener comprises a flat bar 38 which is closely spaced above the conveyor 14, the bar 38 being parallel to the conveyor when the apparatus 41 is viewed in side elevation, and being at an angle to the direction of circulation of the stations 12, indicated by arrow 15, when viewed in plan view (FIG. 3). In use, as the stations 12 are circulated, the bar 38 successively slips between the flap 17 and a body of each envelope 24, movement of the station 12 causing the bar 38 automatically to fold the flap 17 to an open position, in which the mouth 19 of the envelope 24 is exposed for insertion of the associated item of mail 22 into the envelope 24.

[0036] Similarly, the apparatus 41 includes a flap closer for successively closing the flaps 17 of the envelopes 24 after the items of mail 22 have been inserted into the envelopes 24. This flap closer comprises a flat bar 40 similar to the bar 38 of the flap opener, the bar 40 of the flap closer being at an angle to the direction of circulation of the stations 12, when viewed in plan view (FIG. 3), such that movement of the stations 12 successively past the bar 40 causes the bar 40 automatically to close the flap 17 of each envelope 24.

[0037] Although not shown in the drawings, an envelope sealer can be provided to seal the flap 17 of each envelope 24 in its closed position by the application of a sealing force which presses the flap 17 against the body of the envelope 14. This envelope sealer can be in the form of a stationary roller which is located above the conveyor 14, downstream of the closing bar 40, and is urged towards the conveyor 14. Furthermore, it is envisaged that a flap moistener can be provided immediately upstream of the flap closer 40, for moistening the flap 17 of each envelope to facilitate sealing thereof.

[0038] The apparatus 41 has two cam bars above the conveyor 14 between the feeders 16, 18 and the delivery point 20, being a inserter cam bar 13 for co-operation with an inserter cam follower 11 on each station 12, and an opener cam bar 30 for co-operation with an opener cam follower 36 on each station 12.

[0039] The envelope opener 32 includes a pair of wedges 43, one at each end of the envelope opener 32, each wedge comprising an upper prong 44 and a lower prong 46 (FIG. 4) which are vertically aligned and are at an angle to each other to form the wedge 43 such that a narrow end 45 of each wedge 43, in use, faces towards the mouth 19 of the associated envelope 24. The upper prong 44 is pivotally displaceable about a pivot axis 50 which is parallel to the direction of arrow 15, the pivot axis 50 being located at a wide end 47 of the wedge 43, so that the narrow end 45 of the wedge 43 is openable by upward pivoting of the upper prong 44 about axis 50 away from the lower prong 46, to permit passage of an associated item of mail 22 between the prongs 44, 46, from the wide end 47 of the wedge 43 to the narrow end 45 thereof.

[0040] Each envelope opener 32 is slidable on a guide rail 42 provided on the associated station 12, the rail 42 extending in a direction transverse to the direction of arrow 15, sliding of the envelope opener 32 along the guide rail 42 being caused by co-operation of the opener cam follower 36 with the opener cam bar 30.

[0041] The mail inserter 34 (FIG. 5) of each station 12 is also slidable on an inserter rail 48 which is stationary relative to the station 12 and extends in a direction normal to the direction of arrow 15, parallel to the opener rail 42. Similarly, sliding of each inserter 34 is caused by co-operation between the associated inserter cam follower 11 and the inserter cam bar 13, each inserter 34 being arranged to push the associated item of mail 22 into the associated envelope 24 upon sliding of the inserter 34 towards the envelope 24. The construction of the rails 48, 42 is such that the inserter 34 and the opener 32 can slide past each other.

[0042] In use, co-operation between the cam followers 11, 36 of each station 12 and the cam bars 13, 30 respectively, causes the opener 32 and the inserter 34 respectively automatically to open the associated envelope 24 and automatically to insert the item of mail 22 into the envelope 24. First, the opener 32 slides towards the envelope 24, the narrow ends 45 of the wedges 43 entering the mouth 19 of the associated envelope 24, thus spacing side walls of the envelope 24 from each other to open the mouth 19 (FIG. 4). Thereafter, the inserter 34 slides towards the envelope 24, pushing the item of mail 22 between the prongs 44, 46. The upper prong 44 is pivotally displaced away from the associated lower prong 46, so that the narrow end 45 of the wedge 43 opens, and the item of mail 22 is pushed through the open narrow end 45, into the envelope 24.

[0043] The envelope opener 36 then slides away from the envelope 24, the wedge 43 thus being withdrawn from the envelope 24 to leave the item of mail 22 in the envelope 24, whereafter the inserter 34 also slides away from the envelope 24. As described above, after the item of mail 22 has been inserted into the associated envelope 24 in this manner, the flap 17 of each envelope is closed by bar 40, and the envelopes are successively delivered to the delivery point 20.

[0044] The applicant is aware of a method whereby, at a fixed-position station for automated insertion of mail items into envelopes, there is an insertion process in which one or more mail items at a time are received from feeders and aligned with corresponding envelopes for insertion. The envelopes are opened and the mail items inserted into the envelopes, and the envelopes with their mail items inserted therein are then moved away from the fixed-position station in order for the station to receive further mail items and envelopes to repeat the process. In such method, the station cannot receive further mail items and envelopes from the feeders until the envelopes with their inserted mail items are moved away from the station. Therefore, a delay is caused, which delay is avoided or reduced by the present invention. 

1. A method of inserting items of mail into envelopes, which method includes an insertion cycle comprising the steps of: circulating, in succession, a series of insertion stations mounted on an endless conveyor past at least one envelope feeder, past at least one mail feeder and past a delivery point; feeding an item of mail and an associated envelope on to each station as the station passes the respective feeders; inserting each item of mail into the associated envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point; and delivering each envelope with its inserted item of mail from the associated station to the delivery point, each station then being recirculated past the feeders and past the delivery point, to repeat the cycle.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, which includes the step of opening a mouth of each envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point, prior to the step of inserting the item of mail into the envelope.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, which includes the step of opening a flap of each envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point, prior to the step of opening the mouth of the envelope.
 4. A method as claimed in claim any one of the preceding claims, which includes the step of closing a flap of each envelope while the associated station moves toward the delivery point, after the step of inserting each item of mail into the associated envelope.
 5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which each item of mail and the associated envelope are fed on to the associated station substantially simultaneously.
 6. An apparatus for inserting items of mail into envelopes, the apparatus including: a series of mail inserting stations mounted on a endless conveyor for circulation in succession past an envelope feeder, a mail feeder and a delivery point, each station including a mail inserter which is automatically operable to insert an item of mail fed to the associated station from the mail feeder into an envelope fed to that station from the envelope feeder; and a delivery device automatically operable to deliver an envelope with an item of mail inserted therein from each station to the delivery point as the station passes the delivery point.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the mail inserter is cam actuated.
 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the mail inserter includes a cam follower operable by an associated stationary cam adjacent the conveyor, the mail inserter cam being located between the feeders, on the one hand, and the delivery point, on the other hand.
 9. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8 inclusive, in which each station includes an envelope opener, automatically operable to open a mouth of an envelope fed to the associated station from the envelope feeder, to prepare that envelope for insertion of the associated item of mail into the envelope by the associated mail inserter.
 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which the envelope opener is cam actuated.
 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which the envelope opener includes a cam follower operable by an associated stationary cam adjacent the conveyor, the envelope opener cam being located between the feeders, on the one hand, and the delivery point, on the other hand.
 12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11 inclusive, which includes a mail feeder for feeding items of mail in succession to the stations, such that one item of mail is fed to each station.
 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, which includes an envelope feeder for feeding envelopes in succession to the stations, such that one envelope is fed to each station.
 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, in which the mail feeder and the envelope feeder are arranged successively to feed an envelope and an item of mail to each station substantially simultaneously.
 15. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 14 inclusive, in which the endless conveyor is mounted on a pair of pulleys, one of which is a driven pulley and the other of which is an idler pulley, the stations being mounted at spaced intervals along the length of the conveyor. 